As he has stated on several occasions throughout his combat sports career, the most fruitful position for a fighter to be in is one of having several options stretching out in front of them.
This certainly describes Conor McGregor. The first-ever simultaneous UFC two-division champion has made a career of breaking records and of fighting on the biggest possible stage. Now a combat sports promoter in his own right as part of his role as co-owner of the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC), McGregor remains inextricably linked to the fight game — and with two fights remaining on his UFC deal, he says that he is well aware of his worth as he balances his combat career with his own political aspirations back home in Ireland.
“We’ll see, greatness does not rush,” he said of his next move post-fight at the BKFC event in Hollywood, Florida on Thursday night.
“There was an opportunity, or should we say a deal, to fight on Alcatraz recently in June. And they came to me, and it wasn’t my worth. As a fighter we have to know our worth. I hold every pay-per-view record in the book. I hold every gate record in the book. And my comeback would be slated as the greatest or the biggest, most anticipated comeback of all time. So it has to be right. And right now, Ireland is in my heart and that’s where I’m at.”
McGregor added that he is in discussions with the UFC over future opportunities but also explained that much of his focus right now is on the political situation in Ireland following his own recent high profile visit to the White House earlier this month as guest of US President Donald Trump.
“Like I’ve said, I’ve got two fights on the contract, I’m in negotiations,” he said. “Last week something happened to me. I went to the White House, and my heart bleeds for my country right now. So there’s a lot of stuff going on back home. I’m happy with what I’ve done. There’s something else for me that’s in my gut right now, and that’s kind of where I’m going.”
You can watch McGregor’s full comments in the video above.
